Retired Record Executive Rick Blackburn Dead at 70

Former record label executive Richard “Rick” Blackburn died Friday (Nov. 30) at his home in Franklin, Tenn., at age 70.

Born Nov. 16, 1942, in Cincinnati, Blackburn entered the record business soon after graduating from college. After working in promotion and merchandising for various labels in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York, he moved to Nashville in 1974 to become general manager of Monument Records.